Orang itu kejam.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun.

So:

• orang itu = that person
• buku ini = this book

This is a very common word order pattern in Malay.

Malay often does not use a verb like to be in simple sentences with adjectives or nouns.

So:

• Orang itu kejam. literally looks like
• That person cruel.

But the natural English meaning is:

• That person is cruel.

This is normal Malay grammar, not an incomplete sentence.

Orang can mean person, people, or human being, depending on context.

In Orang itu kejam, it is usually understood as that person.

Malay nouns do not always change form for singular and plural the way English nouns do. Context usually tells you which meaning is intended.

For example:

• seorang orang? — not used
• seorang lelaki = a man
• orang itu = that person
• orang-orang itu = those people

So in this sentence, orang is best understood as singular.

Yes. Kejam is an adjective meaning cruel, merciless, or brutal, depending on context.

In this sentence, it describes orang itu:

• Orang itu kejam. = That person is cruel.

Not usually. Orang itu kejam is normally a full sentence meaning:

• That person is cruel.

If you want to say the cruel person as a noun phrase, Malay more often uses:

• orang yang kejam = the person who is cruel / the cruel person

So the sentence you were given is mainly a statement, not just a noun phrase.

You would say:

• Orang ini kejam.

Compare:

• orang ini = this person
• orang itu = that person

Again, ini and itu come after the noun.

A common way is:

• orang yang kejam

Literally, this is something like a person who is cruel.

You may also see adjective-after-noun patterns in Malay, but with people, yang is often used to make the description sound clearer and more natural.

So:

• Orang itu kejam. = That person is cruel.
• orang yang kejam = a cruel person / the cruel person

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• orang ≈ oh-rang
• itu ≈ ee-too
• kejam ≈ kuh-jam

Very roughly:

• oh-rang ee-too kuh-jam

A few notes:

• r in Malay is usually tapped or lightly rolled.
• The e in kejam is often a schwa, like the a in about.
• Stress in Malay is generally not as strong or dramatic as in English.

It is grammatically neutral, but the meaning is strong and negative because kejam is a harsh word.

Calling someone kejam means they are cruel, not just a little unfriendly.

So the sentence itself is normal Malay, but what it says is quite serious.

Yes. For example:

• Dia kejam. = He/She is cruel.

This is often more natural if the person is already known in the conversation.

Compare:

• Orang itu kejam. = That person is cruel.
• Dia kejam. = He/She is cruel.

Use orang itu when you want to point out or identify that person specifically.